The World Without Child Labour is Possible Child labour is an issue of international concern as it can have negative effects on the child’s health, educational achievements, and quality of life. United Nations children fund (UNICEF) estimates that there are 100-200 million child labourers in both industrialised and developing countries. Estimates for Africa are that 25% of children between the ages 10 and 14 are involved in labour while children comprise 17% Africa total labour force. By the same estimates, India with 15 million bonded child labourers which have the largest child labour force in the world (Human Rights Watch 2004). Latin America too, is estimated to have been 15 and 20% of children in work; Pakistan records 7.5 million, Thailand 5 million, Senegal, 500,000 and In Nigeria, 12-15 million minor work more as a consequence of abject poverty hunger and destination. 
(www.marxist.com, 2004) Not all work done by children should be classified as child labour, because there are many different jobs that are just perfect for children, and it is actually a great way for children to gain some work experience before it is time to start earning their own money. Children’s or adolescents’ participation in work that does not affect their health and personal development or interfere with their schooling, is generally regarded as being something positive. This includes activities like helping parents doing some work at home or in the family business, as well as earning some pocket money selling ice cream or doing some other physically and mentally easier jobs.Child labour usually starts with children whose parents are homeless on the streets, some are abandoned runaway and have no families. Children who live with families; these include those who hawk all day on the streets and go home at the end of the day; go to school and hawk on the streets before and after school, during weekend and holiday. Child labour results in urban unemployment as they pickup jobs meant for adults. A lot of countries are not collecting data on their child labour statistics, but child labour among working children is definitely worst in Africa, India and South-America. Child labour is a curse to our society and a crime against humanity. Children should not work, they are supposed to play, have fun and go to school, however, across the world, millions of children do extremely hazardous work in harmful conditions, putting their health, education, personal and social development, and even their lives at risk. It is not fair! Countries and their governments are not doing enough to prevent this issue. United States Secretary of Labor Alexis Herman said once: ”If we can’t begin to agree on fundamentals, such as the elimination of the most abusive forms of child labor, then we really are not ready to march forward into the future.”
About 250 million children between the age of five and fourteen work in developing countries. At least 120 million of these children work on a full-time basis. In India the conservative estimate is about 11.3 million (according to the 1991 censure), but the International Labour Organization (ILO) estimated it at 23.2 million. Both estimates include full-time and marginal child workers. Most working children in rural areas are found in agriculture, many work as domestic labourers, urban children work in the trade and services sector, while some other work in manufacturing and construction. Such children range from four-years-old doing petty jobs to seventeen-years-olds helping out on the family farms. Denied education and a normal childhood, some children, confined and beaten, are often reduced to slavery. At times they are denied freedom of movement – the right to leave the workplace and visit their families. Some are abducted and forced to work. Instances of human rights abuses in such practices are clear and acute. All these statistics are public and official. This is just terrible and sad. Children in that age should not work. They should play and have fun with their friends and go to school. This is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful to children. Child agricultural workers frequently work for long hours in the heat, haul heavy loads of grains, are exposed to toxic pesticides, and suffer high rates of injury from sharp, dangerous tools. Children working in factories often work near hot furnaces, handle hazardous chemicals like arsenic and potassium, work in glass blowing units where the work harms their lungs, damages their eyes and causes disease like tuberculosis, asthma and bronchitis (Human Rights Watch, 2012). Some are injured in fire accidents. They become 
unemployable at the age of 20. If injured or incapacitated, they are mercilessly discarded by their employers. Child domestic workers, mostly girls, work for long hours for little or no pay. They are subjected to verbal and physical abuse, at times even sexual abuse. They may be fired from their work, losing not only the job but their place of shelter as well. Millions of children are involved in work that, under any circumstances, is considered unacceptable for children, including the sale and trafficking of children into debt bondage, serfdom, and forced labour. It includes the forced recruitment of children for armed conflict, commercial sexual exploitation, and other illicit activities, such as drug trafficking. This is not the world we want to live in. Millions of children do not have a childhood and missing out on education which is a very important nowadays. Without an education, it is very hard to get a good job today. I could go on and on about the consequences of child labour. A world without child labour is possible with the right priorities and policies: quality education, opportunities for young people, decent work for parents, a basic social protection floor for all.
unemployable at the age of 20. If injured or incapacitated, they are mercilessly discarded by their employers. Child domestic workers, mostly girls, work for long hours for little or no pay. They are subjected to verbal and physical abuse, at times even sexual abuse. They may be fired from their work, losing not only the job but their place of shelter as well. Millions of children are involved in work that, under any circumstances, is considered unacceptable for children, including the sale and trafficking of children into debt bondage, serfdom, and forced labour. It includes the forced recruitment of children for armed conflict, commercial sexual exploitation, and other illicit activities, such as drug trafficking. This is not the world we want to live in. Millions of children do not have a childhood and missing out on education which is a very important nowadays. Without an education, it is very hard to get a good job today. I could go on and on about the consequences of child labour. A world without child labour is possible with the right priorities and policies: quality education, opportunities for young people, decent work for parents, a basic social protection floor for all.
The prevalence of child labour is a slap on the conscience of society. It harms not only the present generation but also the posterity. The origin of the problem of child labour can be traced to some complex social vices illiteracy, poverty, inequality, failure of social welfare schemes, population explosion, etc. The root cause lies in the economic insecurity of families that results from job loss, natural calamities, and sickness of parents in poor families that are often in debt and have no savings. Children of the poor have become an expendable commodity. The children either supplement their poor parents’ income or are the only wage earners in the family. Discrimination based on gender, race or religion is also responsible for the problem of child labour. Domestic employers often compel poor children to work for minimal wages. Also, work is relatively easy to get in households. Thus,
the household sector employs the largest number of children labourers. Sometimes, child labour is deliberately facilitated by vested interests to get cheap labour. Employers justify this with the logic that it saves children from starvation and prevent them from being sucked into the world of crime. The “nimble finger theory” (India Legal Service) holds that children are better producers of certain products such as knotted carpets and other such kinds of goods. That is why, poor children are hired, exploited and made to work and produce such types of goods. The government says that it is not easy to completely end child labour, therefore, has only tried to improve their working conditions–reducing working hours, ensuring minimum wages and providing facilities for health and education. It can be said that the government measures have three main components legal action focusing on general welfare, development programmes for child workers and their families, and a project-based action plan. Rose Schneiderman, United States labor union leader, socialist, and feminist of the first part of the twentieth century once said: ”Of course, we knew that this meant an attack on the union. The bosses intended gradually to get rid of us, employing in our place child labor and raw immigrant girls who would work for next to nothing.”
the household sector employs the largest number of children labourers. Sometimes, child labour is deliberately facilitated by vested interests to get cheap labour. Employers justify this with the logic that it saves children from starvation and prevent them from being sucked into the world of crime. The “nimble finger theory” (India Legal Service) holds that children are better producers of certain products such as knotted carpets and other such kinds of goods. That is why, poor children are hired, exploited and made to work and produce such types of goods. The government says that it is not easy to completely end child labour, therefore, has only tried to improve their working conditions–reducing working hours, ensuring minimum wages and providing facilities for health and education. It can be said that the government measures have three main components legal action focusing on general welfare, development programmes for child workers and their families, and a project-based action plan. Rose Schneiderman, United States labor union leader, socialist, and feminist of the first part of the twentieth century once said: ”Of course, we knew that this meant an attack on the union. The bosses intended gradually to get rid of us, employing in our place child labor and raw immigrant girls who would work for next to nothing.”
Where is the line between children working in the summer to save money for school or child labour? In fact I agree that starting working in early age will give a child a good life experience, as well as some pocket money or money to pay for tuition or something else. I started earning money when I was fourteen. I hated asking money from my parents and I always wanted to earn my own pocket money. It is all normal when you go to school and you do not work long hours. After doing some research on the child labour issues in the U.S., it turned out, that there is a lot of children working in the agriculture area 14 to 16 hours per day, seven days a week. Lunch breaks are often only a half hour and as with most farm workers, bathrooms and even clean water to drink are rarely supplied by the growers. Federal minimum wage is $7.50 an hour, but because farm workers are paid by the bucket rather than by the hour, their wages often average out to as low as $2.38 an hour which in my opinion, is totally unacceptable and very outrageous. For children, payment for labour presents a unique problem. 
Because children are often too young to collect their own pay, parents are paid instead. While it may not necessarily be a bad thing for kids to give their earnings to parents to help with bills, it does seem ironic at best that children are working full-time jobs but because they are not officially on the books, they are not eligible for worker’s compensation should they get sick or hurt, unemployment benefits during any period they are not working, nor are they even getting credit for paying into social security. Research also showed that a lot of parents are making their kids work because they are either very lazy to work themselves or just do not have enough money to survive. In my opinion, children should never be in this situation. “I really didn’t have a childhood, and I don’t want [my own children] to go through what I did. You’re a kid only once. Once you get old you have to work.” – 17-year-old boy who had been cutting Christmas trees, picking tomatoes, and working in other crops since age 12 in North Carolina (Human Rights Watch). Another 17-year-old boy who started working at age 11 said: “[When I was 12] they gave me my first knife. Week after week I was cutting myself. Every week I had a new scar. My hands have a lot of stories.” Another sad quote by 15-year-old girl hoeing cotton in Texas: “I don’t remember the last time I got to school registered on time. . . I’m afraid it’s going to hold me back on my education. . . . I got out of math because I was a disaster. I would tell the teacher, ‘I don’t even know how to divide, and I’m going to be a sophomore.’ I’m going from place to place. It scrambles things in my head, and I can’t keep up.” From parents’ point of view, mother whose 11-year-old daughter worked hoeing cotton and caring for her younger brothers said: “I tell my daughter, ‘I’m so sorry I stole your childhood from you.”
Because children are often too young to collect their own pay, parents are paid instead. While it may not necessarily be a bad thing for kids to give their earnings to parents to help with bills, it does seem ironic at best that children are working full-time jobs but because they are not officially on the books, they are not eligible for worker’s compensation should they get sick or hurt, unemployment benefits during any period they are not working, nor are they even getting credit for paying into social security. Research also showed that a lot of parents are making their kids work because they are either very lazy to work themselves or just do not have enough money to survive. In my opinion, children should never be in this situation. “I really didn’t have a childhood, and I don’t want [my own children] to go through what I did. You’re a kid only once. Once you get old you have to work.” – 17-year-old boy who had been cutting Christmas trees, picking tomatoes, and working in other crops since age 12 in North Carolina (Human Rights Watch). Another 17-year-old boy who started working at age 11 said: “[When I was 12] they gave me my first knife. Week after week I was cutting myself. Every week I had a new scar. My hands have a lot of stories.” Another sad quote by 15-year-old girl hoeing cotton in Texas: “I don’t remember the last time I got to school registered on time. . . I’m afraid it’s going to hold me back on my education. . . . I got out of math because I was a disaster. I would tell the teacher, ‘I don’t even know how to divide, and I’m going to be a sophomore.’ I’m going from place to place. It scrambles things in my head, and I can’t keep up.” From parents’ point of view, mother whose 11-year-old daughter worked hoeing cotton and caring for her younger brothers said: “I tell my daughter, ‘I’m so sorry I stole your childhood from you.”
Childhood is a critical time for safe and healthy human development. Because children are still growing they have special characteristics and needs, in terms of physical, cognitive (thought/learning) and behavioural development and growth, that must be taken into consideration. Child labourers are at a high risk of illness, injury and even death due to a wide variety of machinery, biological, physical, chemical, ergonomic, welfare/hygiene and psychosocial hazards, as well as from long hours of work and poor living conditions (United Nations Recourses). The work hazards and risks that affect adult workers can affect child labourers even more strongly
. For example, physical strain, especially when combined with repetitive movements, on growing bones and joints can cause stunting, spinal injury and other life long deformation and disabilities. Children often also suffer psychological damage from working and living in an environment where they are denigrated, harassed or experience violence and abuse. In addition, child labour has a profound effect on a child’s future. Denied the right to a quality education, as adults they have little chance of obtaining a decent job and escaping the cycle of poverty and exploitation. International Labour Organization director Juan Somavia said: “No to child labour is our stance. Yet 215 million are in child labour as a matter of survival. A world without child labour is possible with the right priorities and policies: quality education, opportunities for young people, decent work for parents, a basic social protection floor for all. Driven by conscience, let’s muster the courage and conviction to act in solidarity and ensure every child’s right to his or her childhood. It brings rewards for all.”
. For example, physical strain, especially when combined with repetitive movements, on growing bones and joints can cause stunting, spinal injury and other life long deformation and disabilities. Children often also suffer psychological damage from working and living in an environment where they are denigrated, harassed or experience violence and abuse. In addition, child labour has a profound effect on a child’s future. Denied the right to a quality education, as adults they have little chance of obtaining a decent job and escaping the cycle of poverty and exploitation. International Labour Organization director Juan Somavia said: “No to child labour is our stance. Yet 215 million are in child labour as a matter of survival. A world without child labour is possible with the right priorities and policies: quality education, opportunities for young people, decent work for parents, a basic social protection floor for all. Driven by conscience, let’s muster the courage and conviction to act in solidarity and ensure every child’s right to his or her childhood. It brings rewards for all.”
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